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FRFR speaker watts: what is the amp equivalent?

B

belzebass

Feb 21, 2012
305
78
#1
Hello,

My amp died, and was looking at a FRFR speaker to replace it.

What is your experience with FRFRs when playing bass?

I'm looking at the Harley Benton FRFR 112A speaker. It has a 12 inch speaker, and is described as "1,200 watts of power delivering 134dB at its maximum sound pressure level, frequency response: 48 - 19,000 Hz (- 3 dB)".

In terms of power, is it enough to work with a loud drummer? What kind of classic amp-cab equivalence would it be in terms of volume when trying to get a classic rock ampeg bass tone?

Does it have enough low end?

What are your opinions on these?
 
#2
No way that it's 1200 watts compared with a proper power rating in a bass amp (RMS metrics). For a reality check, I would suggest that it's closer to 300 watts RMS, which would be in line with the 12" driver that's provided. Power ratings like this are a false sense of security, making you THINK you are getting something that you really aren't.

What amp do you have now?
 
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#3
agedhorse said:
No way that it's 1200 watts compared with a proper power rating in a bass amp (RMS metrics). For a reality check, I would suggest that it's closer to 300 watts RMS, which would be in line with the 12" driver that's provided. Power ratings like this are a false sense of security, making you THINK you are getting something that you really aren't.

What amp do you have now?
Click to expand...
I had an Ibanez Promethean P3110, a bass combo with a 10' driver and 150 watts announced, and it was enough for me. It held sufficiently well during a reggae gig outside with a hard hitting drummer, and I never had a need for more volume.

This FRFR is 12 inch, and noticeably heavier.
 
#5
One thing you need to realize is there are few FRFR powered speakers that will do a decent job of giving you the sound you need at a level to compete with a loud drummer. The only one I’m aware of is the QSC K12.2 which I’ve been using, but you’re taking a lot more money. It also has a pre-programmed “Bass Amp” setting thst is phenomenal.
 
#7
gtirard said:
It's a guitar cab, not a bass or PA cab.
Click to expand...
I thought so too until I looked it up. Here’s a link and a photo:

harleybenton.com

FRFR-112A - Harley Benton

Full-range flat-response cabinet for use in modern digital guitar setups with e.g. Modeling amps and multi-effects processors | Built-in DSP with classic and modern speaker simulations - SIM0, SIM1, SIM2, SIM3 | 3 DSP equaliser modes - each with ± 12 dB level control per band: 3-band EQ PA...
harleybenton.com harleybenton.com

IMG_1028.jpeg
 
#8
Wasnex said:
IMHO 48hz at -3dB should also be taken with a grain of salt.

The price on this cab is $259. That's probably a better indicator of the performance you should expect than the specs.

Whether it will work for you depends on your expectations and how loud your drummer is.
Click to expand...
Previously I used a 150 watt 1x10 Ibanez Promethean bass combo, and it was quite enough in terms of volume.

How would the volume of this FRFR compare to my 150 watt bass combo?
 
#10
Pep said:
That’s very difficult to answer. One was designed for your instrument and the other was designed for PA. My best guess is, reproducing the lows you need for bass won’t come easy for the Harley Benton.
Click to expand...
Correct, in order to achieve the low frequency extension that’s claimed, there will be some internal corrective eq used that will subtract from available power (that’s already undefined), further reducing low frequency volume.
 
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#14
I started seeing the FRFR term several years ago when amp modelers started becoming more common. I’ve seen very few of them that could come anywhere close to the term, but QSC was one that certainly got close.

Best I can tell, the term FRFR has morphed into the common name for a powered PA speaker with a cone speaker or two, a horn, and a few input features (Bluetooth, preset EQ curves, etc) They work fine, but hardly 20hz-20Khz at -3db or better. If you find one that does, $259 will be more like a down payment &/or a monthly payment.

Do you have a preamp / modeler to send a signal to an FRFR cabinet? They generally aren’t much for taking a signal directly from an instrument except maybe some keyboards.
 
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#15
J Wilson said:
Powered QSC's and the like are far different animals than the Harley Benton mentioned here, and would work just fine for experienced hands, but a still-different voicing than a dedicated bass rig.
Click to expand...
You are correct on all accounts but it does have a preset called”Bass Amp” which emulates a bass combo quite well, so much so that I was asked to turn down which has never happened before.
 
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#16
Tim Skaggs said:
I started seeing the FRFR term several years ago when amp modelers started becoming more common. I’ve seen very few of them that could come anywhere close to the term, but QSC was one that certainly got close.

Best I can tell, the term FRFR has morphed into the common name for a powered PA speaker with a cone speaker or two, a horn, and a few input features (Bluetooth, preset EQ curves, etc) They work fine, but hardly 20hz-20Khz at -3db or better. If you find one that does, $259 will be more like a down payment &/or a monthly payment.

Do you have a preamp / modeler to send a signal to an FRFR cabinet? They generally aren’t much for taking a signal directly from an instrument except maybe some keyboards.
Click to expand...
You’re correct Tim.
My K12.2 was on sale for $100 off. The sale price was $899 plus tax. And yes it’s about as close as you can get to a bass combo. I was able to play it by plugging my passive Vintage J-Bass directly into it and it worked great. I tried that on several others and they were crap.
 
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#18
Unless you have a floor modeler to go along with that FRFR speaker, you're going to be disappointed with it (even with a floor modeler, you will likely be disappointed). IMHO, you're much better off keeping an eye on the Facebook Classifieds and Craigslist and picking up a proper bass amp. The older/heavier gear can still be had for a bargain, and you'll be much happier with it.
 
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#19
gtirard said:
It's a guitar cab, not a bass or PA cab.
Click to expand...

Pep said:
I thought so too until I looked it up. Here’s a link and a photo:

harleybenton.com

FRFR-112A - Harley Benton

Full-range flat-response cabinet for use in modern digital guitar setups with e.g. Modeling amps and multi-effects processors | Built-in DSP with classic and modern speaker simulations - SIM0, SIM1, SIM2, SIM3 | 3 DSP equaliser modes - each with ± 12 dB level control per band: 3-band EQ PA...
harleybenton.com harleybenton.com

View attachment 7459901
Click to expand...

It literally says in the description that it's a guitar cab multiple times.
 
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